Saturday, July 9, 2011

Sharon Gless, Tyne Daly ...and Me - and the official C&L DVD survey!

Tyne Daly has done it again. She has opened on Broadway to rave reviews with a bravura performance this time in Terrance McNally’s Master Class. Both Sharon and I will catch up with her and the show later this summer (the play is scheduled to close its limited run the latter part of August), but I feel secure in offering this seemingly premature “Brava” since I have seen her take on this role a little over a year ago at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. As is so often the case with Ms Daly she was (is) simply brilliant.

On the subject of summer, Sharon continues on with the fifth season of Burn Notice and, in August in London, the casting of the UK version of her play A Round-Heeled Woman. So, both “my” gals are gainfully employed and doing well.

Me? I am revisiting what is now draft three of a novel I began over a year ago. I am struggling with it for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that the plot is somewhat political and the American political landscape keeps changing faster and in more bizarre ways than I (let alone my novel’s leading character) can keep pace with. I have painted myself into so many corners that a new metaphor has to be invented since the number of corners in any metaphorical room should be limited to four, right? I am in more trouble than that.

Still, it is something to do while waiting for MGM to figure out the future and just how they will handle it vis-à-vis Cagney & Laceyand it also has me thinking of returning to the easier (at least for me) memoir form in writing down the stories from my past before … and after… C&L. I am also contemplating an audio version ofCagney & Lacey… and Me plus a re-launch of that tome via electronic technology (Kindle and the iBookstore).

Meanwhile, a question for the reader: the subject of technology brings up the probably very real issue that would be collectors of the original Cagney & Lacey series will most probably be frustrated in their goal of having something tangible and tactile that they can put on a shelf as part of a “collection.” Electronic downloads and such are not going to satisfy that urge so the question is how many of you are there? If it could be arranged on an “on-demand” basis to have the entire series sent to you on DVD in pristine fashion from the original negatives would you want it, and what would you pay for those 125 episodes? Would it be all right if they did not have special additional materials such as interviews or would that be an essential part of any package? Think about this, collect the opinions of your fellow fans of the show, and let us know by answering our new DVD survey.

Summer time will be over soon which is followed by the fall and that is when I am in California and will talk to the MGM caretakers of the moment about such things. It would be nice to have ammunition when bearding the lion in his den.

9 comments:

Daniela
said...

Dear Barney, I find brilliant the idea of ​​the survey. But I think the survey should be made more apparent in the Homepage of the Site ( I do not want to sound presumptuous, I do not get over your " media design consultant " , but I am a Web Designer me too ).Let us hope to convince MGM: many other TV series of the eighties ( of lower level than C & L ) outputs are on DVD ( I do not do names ); here in Italy even with weekly releases in newsstand (!). I never understood why they they do not want to do with Cagney & Lacey.I'm glad that the " girls " still work, I wish I could do it too. . .When your novel is finished, I will read it for sure.Happy summer holidays!Daniela

Tyne Daly has, indeed, done it again. Brilliant, funny, moving performance - and Sharon Gless, I see, WILL be doing it again in London - and I just filled out that survey because I want to see all the C&Ls...again.

Oh, and one more thing... I marvel at your ability to make UP a weirder/scarier scenario than the one that currently exists in US politics, but keep plugging. When painted into a corner (or a multitude of corners), perhaps it is best to start writing with an eraser...I'm only repeating your past words of wisdom about that handy tool. :-)

Hi, let's hope that CaL gets released in full - series stil relevant today.On a personal note, can you thank Sharon (again) for a nice thing she did a few years ago. A friend of mine was hours from passing away, and I got the crazy notion to get a signed photo from one of his favourite stars.I called up Sharon in a London theatre (she answered herself,and I was in a bit of a mess) and of course the signed photo was there waiting when I drove through a really foggy London to get it.The guy died the next day, but with SGs photo and wishes from the previous night.Hey, tell SG that things like that really count, and I always tell that story about her. Hope all is well.I

Brilliant! A chance at last to have all the Cagney and Lacey episodes released. I have been waiting for this for years!! I really hope you are successful with MGM and that this survey is well publicised to get enough support. Good luck

Hi Barney, just wanted to say i have read your book and it was a fantastic read could not put it down.It give a great insight as to just how hard you had to fight back then to get a show on TV.Good luck to you and Sharon for the future sorry i never got to see her show when she was in Ireland, maybe next time. love Annie

Greetings from an old LA (now CT) acquaintance thru C:S workshops. Would love to see all the C&L episodes since I only caught some when living in Hong Kong. SG may recall mention of my former editor, who still calls her "the dishy Miss Gless," who says he thought she was wonderful on London stage. Eager to read your novel. Just had 3 novels published in Nov, so know what a rollercoaster that can be. Congrats on your projects! Cheers, J